Fence



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. M. FELLOWS.

FENCE.

N0. 391,132. Patented Oct. 16, 1888.,-

INVENTOR BY ATTORNEYS.

N PE'IERS. Pmwuthosw or. Walhingtun, n. c.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. M. FELLOWS.

FENCE.

Patented Oct, 16, 1888.

INVENTOR BY M ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES: W K

N. PETERS. PDMbUIM HM OB wnhin um. D. C

, UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. FELLOW'S, OF BURLINGTON, INDIANA.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,132, dated October 16, 1888.

(N0 model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. FELLOWS, of Burlington, in the county of Carroll and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fences, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to fences for lands,and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, and substantial fence of this character, which may be set plum'b on rolling or sloping lands, and may be easily and quickly erected or removed.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts of the fence, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of ashort section of a fence embodying my improvements and illustrating how the fence may be built with either rail or picket panels. Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofa portion of a wire fence at a corner of a field, and embodies some of my improvements. Fig. 3 isafrontview ofthe intermediate or corner fence-post with wires attached. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional side elevation of the main fence-post. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional plan view taken on the line a; x in Fig. 3, and illustrates how the fence-wires are bound to the posts.

The main fence-posts A andintermediate or corner posts B are adapted for use either with rails or pickets or wires in constructing a fence, as shown in the drawings, and will be hereinafter particularly described,

I will first describe the fence-posts A B in order, as follows:

The fence-post A is made with a base,having four arms, a a a. a, meeting at theirinner ends, where they are braced by segmental stays a, the extremities of the arms being bent downward to form feet a permitting a solid rest or bearing of the post on the groundsurface. About at the center of the base an eyebolt, D, is passed vertically through it, and is held by a nut, d, at the under side of the base. The eye of this bolt D is engaged loosely with the lower end of an upright or post proper, E, either by hooking the eye into a tenon at the lower end of the post or by the use of a strap or other suitable bearing fixed to the post.

The upper end ofthe post E is cutaway at the sides to form a tenon, 6, thereby providing shoulders at e, on which thetop of an inside brace, F, may rest, while the tenon passes through a sl0t,f, in the brace, thelowereud of which brace is pivoted to the outer end of the inner arm, a, of the base by an eyebolt, D, retained by a nut, d, substantially as above described, for the pivotal connection of the post E with the base. A series of holes, 9, in the brace F allows a nutted bolt or pin, G, to be passed through either of said holes and through a hole in the tenon, to allow the post E to be set plumb laterally of the fence should the base of the post rest firmly on side-hill or rolling ground. To the outer parts of the two opposite base-arms a a, which lie parallel with the fence, the lower ends of two braces, H H, are held pivotaliy by eyebolts D, and the upper ends of these braces pass through a slot, 6', in the post E, and a pin, I, passed through the post, is also passed through any two of a series of holes. h h, made in the upper ends of the braces H H, which lap upon each other within the post-slot, and whereby the upright or post E may be set plumb in the line of the fence, while the base of the main post A rests on ground inclined either way in the line of the fence. It is thus obvious that the post or upright E may be set plumb both ways, and securely locked in this position by the pinned braces F H H, irrespective of the contour of the ground-surface on which the postA rests. \Vhen the fence-panels between the posts consist entirely of rails J, or of upper and lower rails J, with attached pickets K, I use an outside or face bar or post, L, which is pivoted to the base-arm a, preferably by an eyebolt, D and laps upon the outer faces of the rails- J at the joints of the panels with each other at the posts, and nutted bolts or pins M will be passed through the inner and outer posts, E L, and through the overlapped ends of the rails, which lie between these posts to secure the fence-panels firmly to the posts, as shown at the post A in Figs. 1 and 4. of the drawings.

ICO

The fence-rails need not be lapped upon each 7 other between the posts; but this construction is preferred.

I make the post 13 with a cross piece or base,

b, which ranges transversely to the fence, and has downturned ends forming feet b, allowing solid rest of the post on the ground. The post B is provided with a pivoted upright, E,

a pivoted inner brace, F, and an outer pivoted face post or upright, L, the parts E F being connected adjustably at the top by a tenon and mortise, cf, and abolt or pin, G, substantially as above described for like parts of the post A and for a similar purpose, or to allow lat eral plumbing of the post E should the fence range over uneven ground. The parts E F L may be connected to the base I; by eyebolts, as hereinbefore described for like parts of the post A; but I show the lower ends of said parts E F L of the post B made forked to strad- (lle the base-piece b, to which they are held pivotally by bolts or pins N, and bolts or pins M will be employed to bind the ends-of the fencerails J between the parts E L of the post, all as clearly shown in the drawings.

I purpose making all parts of the posts AB, above described, of cast or wrought metal to provide a post which will be light and strong and will have a neat appearance when set up and will give substantial support to the rail or wire stringers of the fence.

The use of wires Tfor the panels or stringers of the fence is illustrated in Figs. 2, 4, and 7 of the drawings, in connection with the metal posts A B. I secure the wires T to the posts by looping or twisting the central part of a tie-wire, U, around the fence-wire atu, and then I pass both end parts of the tie-Wire through a hole or mortise, t, in the fence-post, and then I bend the ends of the tie around at opposite sides of the post and forward to the fence-wire T, and wrap the extremities of the wire around the fence-wire, as shown at u, and whereby the fence-wire will be securely held to the post and yet will be free to expand or contract with changes in temperature. Plain or barbed wires or metallic ribbon of any kind may be held to the fence-posts in this manner, and the stringers of the fence may consist of combinations of wires and rails in any preferred arrangement to any required height, as will readily be understood.

In erecting fences with either rails, picketpanels, or wires, or combinations of rails and wires, I purpose using the posts A B alter nately along the line of the fence, as in Fig. 1

of the drawings, and at the corners of a fence A I prefer to use the posts B, as shown at the wire fence in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and 1 also propose to dig pits in the ground at two sides of the corner-posts of wire fences, and after fixing the ends of the fence-wires running each way to heavy stones I will roll the stones into the pits and cover them with earth to serve as anchors to the fence.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In fences, a fence-post made with a base, an upright pivoted thereto and adapted for attachment of rails or wires, a lateral brace pivoted to the base and provided with a series of holes at its upper part, a bolt or pin entering the upright and brace-holes and allowing lat eral plumbing of the upright, side braces pivoted to the base and provided with series of holes allowing plumbing of the upright in other directions, and a pin passed through the later-a1 braces and upright, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, in a fence-post, of a.

base, an upright, E, alateral brace, F, and opposite braces,H H,pivoted to the base, substantially as specified, said upright having a tenon, e, and slot 6 and the brace having a slot,f, and a series of holes, g, and the braces H having series of holes h, and pins G I. holding the braces F H adjustably to the upright E, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, in a fence-post, of a base, a, uprights E L, pivoted thereto, said upright E having a tenon, e, and slot 6 and a brace, F, having a slot, f, and series of holes 9, braces H H, pivoted to the base and provided with series of holes h, bolts or pins G I, holding the braces adj ustably to the upright E, and bolts or pins M, adapted to bind the fence panels between the uprights E L, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN M. FELLOWS.

Witnesses:

J OHN T. GWINN, JOHN APPENZELLAR. 

